What Makes Beowulf An Epic Poem???

Question

Please Help, I've read Beowulf Twice! & I Still cant Find quotes or reasons!!!

Answer 1

Epic. An extended narrative poem recounting actions, travels, adventures, and heroic episodes and written in a high style (with ennobled diction, for example). It may be written in hexameter verse, especially dactylic hexameter, and it may have twelve books or twenty four books. Characteristics of the classical epic include these:

The main character or protagonist is heroically larger than life, often the source and subject of legend or a national hero

The deeds of the hero are presented without favoritism, revealing his failings as well as his virtues

The action, often in battle, reveals the more-than-human strength of the heroes as they engage in acts of heroism and courage

The setting covers several nations, the whole world, or even the universe

The episodes, even though they may be fictional, provide an explanation for some of the circumstances or events in the history of a nation or people

The gods and lesser divinities play an active role in the outcome of actions

All of the various adventures form an organic whole, where each event relates in some way to the central theme

Typical in epics is a set of conventions (or epic machinery).

Among them are these:
Poem begins with a statement of the theme ("Arms and the man I sing")

Invocation to the muse or other deity ("Sing, goddess, of the wrath of Achilles")

Story begins in medias res (in the middle of things)

Catalogs (of participants on each side, ships, sacrifices)

Histories and descriptions of significant items (who made a sword or shield, how it was decorated, who owned it from generation to generation)

Epic simile (a long simile where the image becomes an object of art in its own right as well as serving to clarify the subject).

Frequent use of epithets ("Aeneas the true"; "rosy-fingered Dawn"; "tall-masted ship")

Use of patronymics (calling son by father's name): "Anchises' son"

Long, formal speeches by important characters

Journey to the underworld

Use of the number three (attempts are made three times, etc.)

Previous episodes in the story are later recounted

--------Reference 2 link below -------

Beowulf (c. 700-1000 A.D.) is a heroic epic poem. At 3,182 lines, it is notable for its length in comparison to other Old English poems. It represents about 10% of the extant corpus of Old English poetry. The poem is untitled in the manuscript, but has been known as Beowulf since the early 19th century. In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of a Germanic tribe from southern Sweden called the Geats, travels to Denmark to help defeat a monster named Grendel. He later returns to Geatland, where he becomes king, and when he is old he kills a dragon and dies. Although dealing primarily with Scandinavian matters, the work has risen to such prominence that it is sometimes called "England's national epic."

Answer 2

Beowulf Epic Poem

Answer 3

Epic Poem Examples

Answer 4

well one thing is there is a clear Hero which is beowulf, and in epic times heros are honest, smart, intelligent, brave and courageous, (try to find quotes that illustrate this about beowulf). Another thing is that they do supernatural things like defeat villians and sacrifice their lives for everyone else.
just find quoest in the poem that show that he is the central figure and that everyting in the play revolves around him, find other quotes that show how he is inspiring ( like at the end, he still wanted to fight the dragon althought he was old and he couldnt possibley beat him), find other qoutes that illustrate how he has superior physical strength, how he believes that it is noble to die in battle, and how he defends ethics and morals. example " Beowulf, higlac's follower, and the strongestof the Geats-greater and stonger than anyone anywhere in this world (Language of literature, 36).

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What Makes Beowulf An Epic Poem???
Please Help, I've read Beowulf Twice! & I Still cant Find quotes or reasons!!!

Answer 6

it is not only a portrait of a culture, but also a story about a hero fighting evil